Traditional Decorated Christmas Cookies Food

TRADITIONAL DECORATED CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, lemon peel, vanilla and salt.
• Gradually beat in flour until thouroughly incorporated. Add water, a few drops at a time, only until dough starts to come away from side of bowl.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut out various shapes using cookie cutters or homemade cardboard patterns, or free-hand. Reroll scraps and cut out.
• Make small holes with wooden pick if planning to hang cookies. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until beginning to brown around edges.
• Remove cookies to wire rack to cool before decorating.
• Prepare icing: Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until foamy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Continue to beat until thick and creamy.
• Add just enough water to get a good spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring, if you wish. Spread evenly over cookies.
• Decorate with glitter, sprinkles, or cinnamon red hots, or as desired.

SPARKLING VANILLA CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Tip the icing sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl, then stir together with a wooden spoon (or pulse in a food processor until well combined). Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Shape the dough into two flat discs and wrap them. Chill for 20-30 mins. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out Christmassy shapes (use a cutter if you like) and place on the baking sheets. Using the tip of a skewer, cut a small hole in the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 mins until lightly golden.
• Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make a thick, but still runny icing. Colour with edible food colouring, if you like. Spread it over the cooled biscuits, decorate with edible balls and thread with ribbon when dry.